Strengthening Citizen Participation in National Economic Policy Processes
The launch of consultations for Zimbabwe’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy III (NFIS III) (2027–2031) by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion has presented a critical opportunity for citizens, informal economy workers, and marginalized communities to influence a policy framework that will shape access to financial services for millions of Zimbabweans.
Recognizing the importance of this process, the Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) has activated and mobilized its community accountability and citizen engagement structures established under the Local Accountability and Citizen Engagement (LACE) Project, which was supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to ensure that grassroots voices are effectively represented in the national consultations.
At the forefront of this mobilization are the Socio-Economic Champions (SOCHAMPS), a network of trained community leaders and citizen advocates established by VISET to promote active citizenship, accountability, and public participation in governance processes. Through the SOCHAMPS platform, community members are being sensitized on the significance of financial inclusion and encouraged to identify barriers and opportunities affecting informal traders, women entrepreneurs, youth, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
In addition, VISET has reactivated the Public Finance Management (PFM) Community Action Groups (PFM–CAGS), sustainability structures that were established under the LACE Project to strengthen citizen oversight and engagement in public finance and economic governance processes. These groups are playing a critical role in facilitating community dialogues, collecting citizen perspectives, and generating evidence-based recommendations for submission during the NFIS III consultation process.
Connecting Financial Inclusion to Local Accountability and Citizen Engagement
The activation of these structures demonstrates the sustainability and long-term impact of the LACE Project beyond its implementation period. Financial inclusion is intrinsically linked to the core objectives of the LACE Project, which sought to strengthen citizen participation in governance, improve accountability in public institutions, and ensure that development policies respond to the needs and priorities of citizens.
For informal economy workers, access to affordable and responsive financial services is not only an economic issue but also a governance and accountability issue. Citizens must have opportunities to influence policies that affect their livelihoods, access to credit, savings, insurance, digital financial services, and enterprise development opportunities.
Through the engagement of SOCHAMPS and PFM Community Action Groups, VISET is facilitating meaningful citizen participation in shaping a strategy that has the potential to reduce poverty, enhance economic resilience, support enterprise growth, and promote inclusive development.
Amplifying the Voices of Informal Economy Workers
The consultation process will enable community members to raise key concerns affecting financial inclusion, including high transaction costs, limited access to affordable credit, digital exclusion, inadequate consumer protection, and the specific challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and informal traders. Women participants highlighted persistent barriers such as limited collateral, lower asset ownership, and restricted access to business financing. Youth and rural participants emphasized the need for improved digital infrastructure, financial literacy, and inclusive financial products tailored to their realities. These contributions are being consolidated through VISET’s community engagement platforms and will inform the organization’s evidence-based submissions to the NFIS III consultation process.
Building Sustainable Pathways for Inclusive Development
The successful activation of SOCHAMPS and PFM Community Action Groups demonstrates how community accountability structures can be leveraged to influence national policy processes and strengthen democratic participation in economic governance. By ensuring that citizens are actively involved in shaping Zimbabwe’s financial inclusion agenda, VISET is contributing to a more responsive, inclusive, and accountable financial system that addresses the needs of those traditionally excluded from formal financial services.
As Zimbabwe develops its National Financial Inclusion Strategy III, the active participation of community-based accountability structures stands as a powerful example of how citizen engagement can drive transformative policy outcomes. The experience also highlights the enduring value of investments made under the LACE Project, whose sustainability mechanisms continue to empower communities to engage meaningfully in governance and development processes. Through this initiative, VISET is demonstrating that sustainable development is achieved when citizens are not merely beneficiaries of policy but active participants in shaping it.
